ACI-NA Committeess

The Air Cargo Committee is committed to advancing the industry's understanding and knowledge of air cargo economics and practices. Its focus is to assist airport operators in the management of existing air cargo resources, maximization of potential air cargo opportunities and the enhancement of air cargo revenues, in addition to providing a forum to discuss cargo-related security issues and developing concerns in the air cargo industry.

The Business Diversity Committee is dedicated to developing proactive outreach and educational programs to assure a vital industry forum on diversity issues and in promoting best practices. It is the forum for monitoring changes in legislation, regulatory requirements, and business practices affecting Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) programs and small businesses at airports. It formulates ACI-NA policy recommendations on DBE, local, and small business issues, as well as promotes successful airport DBE, local, and small business programs.

The Business Information Technologies (BIT) Committee is the forum where members with airport-related information technology responsibilities can network, communicate, share data, conduct research and keep up-to-date with the latest technological developments. The committee examines new and emerging technologies for their applicability to airport systems, and reviews how existing systems can be improved to better serve the airport system and the needs of customers.

The Commercial Management Committee serves as a forum to share ideas and exchange information among fellow airport concessions and commercial properties professionals as well as to identify the best commercial practices at airports. The committee focuses on landside management issues such as ground transportation, parking and car rentals. It also concentrates on issues relating to concessions and commercialization as well as tracking trends and best practices. The committee annually completes a work plan of projects that will benefit the airport industry as it relates to concessions and commercial properties matters.

The Environmental Affairs Committee is responsible for the development and implementation of ACI-NA environmental policy positions on issues such as noise, air quality, water quality, waste management, wildlife, and environmental review processes. Committee members work with federal legislators and regulators, aviation industry groups, and international policy makers to develop statutory and regulatory proposals governing the environment at and around airports and the tenants who operate there.

The Facilitation Committee addresses issues related to international passenger and cargo inspection and facilitation programs and regulations. The main issues covered are: the role of airports in border security, federal agency staffing and hours of operation, the collection and use of international passenger user fees, passenger and cargo inspection regulations and procedures, airport facility requirements, and customer services.

The ACI-NA Finance Committee serves as a forum to exchange information and best practices among fellow airport finance and Associate Member professionals to collectively strategize and advocate on important industry topics which impact airport financial operations and long-term financial viability.

The Finance Committee develops an annual work plan of projects that will benefit the airport industry and actively provides the ACI-NA Board and other ACI-NA committees with input to key financial and business legislative and/or policy matters, and to coordinate selected initiatives. Committee members work with federal regulators and aviation industry groups to promote dialogue and an understanding of airport perspectives and daily operational challenges. The Finance Committee also develops, in coordination with other ACI-NA committees, the agenda for the annual ACI-NA Economics and Human Capital Conference, and is also responsible for ensuring significant airport participation in the annual ACI-NA airport performance benchmarking survey. The Finance Committee actively participates in the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) to leverage the research and resource materials available to the airport community.

The ACI-NA Human Resources Committee provides services that strengthen our ability to collaborate with the aviation community advocating strategic initiatives which inspire excellence in maximizing the potential of Human Capital. It functions to be the global human resources leader within the aviation community.

The Legal Affairs Committee provides airport attorneys with a forum to share information about new developments in case law, statutes and regulations affecting airports; the Committee also monitors pending airport litigation. Through its steering group, recommendations are made to the ACI-NA Board and Executive Committee regarding requests that ACI-NA file "friend of the court" briefs at the appellate stage of cases in federal and state court, where those cases are likely to have significant implications for U.S. airports. The Committee reviews and edits draft briefs prior to filing.

In addition, the Committee drafts and edits comments filed in proceedings pending before administrative agencies of the federal government, and assists ACI-NA in informal discussions with those federal agencies. The Committee, through the ACI-NA staff, maintains for the use of its members, sample language for various airport legal documents, e.g., policies, RFP's, minimum standards, easements, etc. The Legal Affairs Committee also responds to requests from the ACI-NA Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and other ACI-NA departments for information regarding legal issues affecting airports, and provides speakers to other ACI-NA committees on a variety of airport legal issues.

For more than 40 years, ACI-NA’s Marketing and Communications Committee has provided professional support and educational opportunities for ACI-NA members in air service and business development, marketing, public affairs, customer service and community relations. The Committee develops aviation-related educational and policy programs for ACI-NA members, identifies issues and promotes public awareness of airports as economic generators for their communities and develops strategies for delivering strong customer service and attracting new air service.

The Committee includes three active Working Groups, including Customer Service and Aviation Education, Media Relations, and Marketing and Air Service Development.

The ACI-NA Operational and Technical Affairs Committee is the forum for the discussion and development of policies and programs that relate to airport planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance.
Members of the committee focus their efforts on: airfield and ramp safety, including safety management systems (SMS); terminal, apron, airfield and roadway design; satellite navigation and other next generation air traffic control system enhancements; impacts of new large aircraft; winter operations; airspace obstruction evaluation and control; pavement design, construction and maintenance; signage; lighting; airfield markings; airport maintenance systems; and airport safety technology research and development.

The Public Safety and Security (PS&S) Committee's mission is to enhance the safety and security of airports by providing recommendations to industry and government for aviation safety and security policies, identifying and promoting best practices in aviation safety and security, and identifying and/or developing educational and technological resources that help accomplish airport safety and security objectives.

The Risk Management Committee serves as the forum for discussing airport risk management issues including loss control and prevention, airport insurance agreements, regulatory requirements, and Enterprise Risk Management, as well as airport safety issues and other important insurance-related topics. It also works towards developing and enhancing the ACI-NA Airport Insurance Program.

ACI-NA’s members range from the busiest airports in the world to those providing services to some of the smaller communities in North America. ACI-NA’s Small Airports Committee provides a single forum to address all of the issues and concerns faced by smaller commercial service airports in North America with a special emphasis on the development of programs and policies to assist airports with limited resources. Airport funding, regulatory flexibility, small business impacts, and market development are some of the more relevant topics on the Committee’s agenda.

The U.S. Governmental Affairs Committee is ACI-NA’s policy making body for federal government programs, legislation and regulations affecting airport operators. Through the committee, airport directors, government relations staff from small, medium and large airports, Commissioners and associate members meet and discuss a variety of issues and concerns. Committee members develop consensus policy positions on federal legislative and regulatory matters for ACI-NA’s Board of Directors.

The committee guides ACI-NA’s government relations activities to represent and advocate the interests of U.S. airports before Congress and the Administration, particularly the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The ACI-NA U.S. International Air Service Program is the forum for U.S. Airports interested in international air service and related issues, and promotes the common interests of participating U.S. airports. Established in 1983, currently about 40 airports participate in the program which is supported by a separate dues assessment.

It focuses on development of international air services to U.S. communities as well as protection of U.S. airport proprietary rights in international agreements and aviation relationships. Many of these agreements and relationships determine which U.S. cities receive international air service and the nature of foreign airline rights at U.S. airports.

The information provided on this website is a collection of materials submitted by the ACI-NA membership. ACI-NA provides the materials only for informational purposes as a service to our members and does not guarantee the technical integrity, accuracy, currency, correctness, completeness, or reliability of the materials. ACI-NA expressly disclaims any liability for the materials and does not endorse the materials. ACI-NA provides all the materials “AS-IS” without any express or implied warranty of any kind, including warranties of merchantability, non-infringement of intellectual property, or fitness for any particular purpose. Please use the materials at your own risk. The materials do not constitute legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for advice of competent legal counsel. Before making decisions that involve the law, you should contact an attorney for specific legal advice.